1987 Scorecard Vote

Public Land Reform

House Roll Call Vote 152

Issue: Lands/Forests

This vote is on final passage of H.R. 1039 which sets conditions for the resolution of certain oil shale claims by amending the Mineral Lands Leasing Act of 1920. This bill would put an end to one of the largest remaining public lands giveaways: the sale of pre-1920 oil shale mining claims to private interests for as little as $2.50 an acre. The bill is a response to the controversial court settlement in which the Department of Interior gave away 280,000 acres of western Colorado in response to some ancient claims. Without this bill, another 400,000 acres of public land could have suffered the same fate.

This bill passed the House by a vote of 295-93 on June 2, 1987. YES is the pro-environmental vote.